Author: Asish Kumar

Significant political ramifications resulted from the recent India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which was held on November 10. This is especially true given the unstable geopolitical environment. Both the US Secretary of State and the US Secretary of Defence defended the meeting in spite of the urgent issues in West Asia, demonstrating the importance to the US of maintaining the positive trajectory of its ties with India. In cooperation with Iran, the US has sent two aircraft carrier groups and a Marine unit to the eastern Mediterranean to thwart any Hezbollah threats against Israel. The US is juggling wars in Europe,…

Surprisingly, on October 3, Pakistan’s interim administration issued a harsh 28-day ultimatum, requesting that anyone whom it deemed to be “illegal immigrants” vacate the country. This opened the door for mass deportations to begin on November 1. This decision primarily targets the 1.73 million Afghans living in Pakistan, the majority of whom have not been able to get official refugee status. UNHCR estimates place the current number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan at around 3.7 million, with 700,000 of them having left Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. Unbelievably, 1.73 million of these refugees are said to be…

The religious and cultural practices of Judaism are not uniform, and the Jewish people exhibit remarkable diversity in their identities, customs, and beliefs. The Jewish population worldwide encompasses a wide range of religious and cultural traditions, from Ashkenazi to Sephardic, from Orthodox to Reform Jews. There are various ways that Jewish people and communities interact with the state, even though Israel is crucial to the religious and national identities of Jews around the world. It’s important to recognise that not all Jews hold the same political opinions or provide unwavering support for the policies of the Israeli government when talking…

As former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif returns from his four-year self-exile vowing to solve pressing concerns affecting the country, Pakistan faces many hurdles. Three primary obstacles are particularly noticeable among these. Establishing a thriving private sector and revitalising Pakistan’s economy is the first challenge. Recently, there was a near-miss default that was saved by an IMF bailout package of $3 billion. This resulted in higher inflation, living expenses, and interest rates, which are currently at an alarming 22 percent. Due to the weight of new fees, this has resulted in massive public demonstrations and challenges with paying electricity bills.…

In the midst of the mayhem in the Gaza Strip, India’s principled and impartial position shines out as the Hamas-Israel battle continues to evoke strong emotions and have a significant impact on domestic politics. India’s stance on the chaotic circumstances in Gaza is based on three main ideas. First, regardless of settings, histories, or Israel’s ensuing reactions to the attacks, it categorically denounces the terror strikes on Israeli civilians carried out by Hamas operatives. Second, India is dedicated to making sure that all people, Israelis or Palestinians, are protected. In keeping with this philosophy, New Delhi has supplied necessary supplies…

India and Qatar were going to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2023. On October 26, however, eight retired Indian navy men who had been employed by the Al Dahra firm were given the death penalty by the Court of First Instance of Qatar, a collegiate court that hears civil and criminal issues. Both countries were shocked by this unexpected ruling. Captains Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, Saurabh Vasisht, Amit Nagpal, Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh are the eight retired navy soldiers who are being detained on death row. The Indian Ministry of External…

Prior to the Third Belt and Road Forum (BRF), which is scheduled to take place in Beijing on October 17–18, 2023, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has been unusually silent about the international leaders who are expected to attend. Although more than 130 world leaders, including heads of international organisations, were confirmed to attend, the post-forum study clarifies Beijing’s reasons for withholding the guest list. Only twenty-two presidents and prime ministers from different countries attended the forum, out of the 130 world leaders that were originally expected. Even though the number might not seem small at first, it is nothing compared…

India’s political and corporate scene has undergone a startling change in the last few years. The Financial Times (FT) has revealed a depressing coal import scam that seems to have every trait of a kleptocracy—the word kleptocracy comes from the Greek for “thief rule.” This dubious situation is only one aspect of a larger problem afflicting the country, where corruption appears to flourish unfettered and unabated. Kleptocracies are characterised by widespread corruption, which gives the ruling class and their allies almost complete impunity. Under such a system, government insiders’ illegal behaviours are justified by manipulating the legal framework. It also…

Turkey is one of the conduits for communicating with senior Hamas leadership in order to resolve the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The “Turkish channel” stems from Ankara’s support of Hamas as a close ally—or, as some observers interpret it, a strategic asset—to increase Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s regional clout in West Asia. The Muslim Brotherhood, an ideology Islamist group with Egyptian roots that has influenced several Muslim political leaders, scholars, and organisations globally, is the same as the cradle of both Erdogan and Hamas. With roots in the Turkish city of Rize, Erdogan’s first attempt at fame was football. However,…

The Canadian Prime Minister’s handling of the Nijjar scandal demonstrates his incapacity, obstinacy, entitlement, and poor understanding of geopolitics. He has sacrificed a significant relationship for a criminal who was on the run from Indian law, was the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force, a group that by its very name implied it was a terrorist organisation (much like the Tamil Tigers), and openly supported violence and secessionism in India, among other things.He brought up Nijjar’s murder with Prime Minister Modi at the G-20 summit despite lacking sufficient evidence to support his claim that Indian government agents were responsible, and…